Video content is engaging, interactive, and has the ability to draw viewers in with emotion. So how do we as marketers tap into the heart of our viewers? We attended the Social Video Convention hosted in San Diego this year and learned from several content creators about some key tips on how to create a strong social video:

Think as Little as a Marketer as Possible

Ryan Rosas, a contributor at Huffington Post, stressed the importance of storytelling in social video. People don’t like being sold to, but rather they enjoy making their own decisions. Instead of thinking like a marketer and trying to sell individuals something, be more authentic and real as possible while telling a story instead.

A great example of this is Android’s video, Monotune. While they don’t show an actual product, or even a feature of any of their products, they manage to capture one of their brand’s central message, individuality, while showcasing a very short story of two pianos.

Tell a Story About People

Humans are more likely to connect to other human experiences, as opposed to things. Creating relatable and authentic stories are key components to a good social video. Instead of telling people about your product, tell a story of people who use your product.

Amazon has done an amazing job doing this with their Alexa Moments videos. Each of these videos recounts a 10 second slice of life of different families who all utilize the Amazon Echo. They’re very short, but still manage to tell a full story while staying relatable and fun to watch.

Understand Your Platform

There are so many different platforms for video that it’s important to think of the intricacies and audience of each platform. Something to keep in mind when creating content for social media is that people are often in different moods whenever they check a channel. This is why it’s necessary to create platform specific content.

Viewers on Facebook tend to have more time on their hands than viewers on other social media platforms. Understanding that viewers on Facebook will likely choose to watch a video, it would be smart to post video content that’s a little bit longer. However, people who peruse on Twitter tend to go for quick and digestible content, which is why the six second Vine reigned supreme on that platform. Utilizing an editorial calendar for your different channels is an easy way to keep track of the different content you post on each channel.

With a lot of live video emerging, it’s important to keep a story maintained to prevent it from rambling. Many people are utilizing Facebook Live as a way to connect with their audiences in a unique and collaborative way. For example, the New York Times utilizes Facebook Live to solve their weekly crossword puzzle. Their stream has a definitive goal, so it’s easy to end the “story” once the puzzle is completed.

Every Story Has a Purpose

It’s important to remember that every story has a purpose. Without establishing the goal of your content, it can just disappear into the thousands of other videos that are posted on social media. Understanding what part your video is of your bigger campaign is important to maintaining your central message.